Several gardening fundraisers this weekend, starting Friday
Expect plants of all types (but not sunshine) this weekend at the many sales scheduled in the region, from Woodland to Placerville. Kathy Morrison
April may be the cruelest month, but it's also a crucial month for Sacramento-area gardeners and garden groups.
Fact: No less than eight plant sales are happening in the region Friday and/or Saturday.
Fact (and the cruel part): It's going to rain most of Friday and Saturday.
Fact: Plants don't melt in the rain, and neither do gardeners.
Which means the groups and students planning these plant sales -- each an important fundraiser -- will be ready for rain and happy to see all interested plant shoppers.
So find those rain boots, umbrellas and water-repellant jackets. Maybe a tarp for the wagon, too, before you head out.
Here's a rundown of the weekend's sales:
Friday and Saturday
-- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sacramento Perennial Plant Club, on the grounds of the historic Azevedo-Moll House and Tank House, 1911 Bannon Creek Drive, South Natomas, Sacramento. Open to the public. Club information: https://sacplants.org/
This fundraising sale features plants of all types propagated by the club memberss. In addition to many varieties of perennials, there's always a wide selection of California natives, tomatoes and other summer veggies, plus succulents, herbs, indoor plants and shade plants. Proceeds from the sale go toward the club's Saul Wiseman Gardening Grants and other community projects. Also, "Stan the Tool Man" will be available to sharpen scissors, knives and garden tools, as well as drill drainage holes in containers.
Saturday only
-- 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. American River College, in the Environmental Resource Area, south of Parking Lot A in the northeast corner of the campus, 4700 College Oak Drive, Sacramento. (Enter on Myrtle Avenue.) Vegetable and flower starts, berries, perennials, succulents, cactus, shrubs, landscape plants and California natives will be for sale, all student-raised. Credit cards accepted. Recommended: Bring a wagon or cart to transport plants. Proceeds benefit the Horticulture program. https://www.facebook.com/americanrivercollege
-- 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Elk Grove Garden Club, at a private home, 8609 Brodie Ct., Elk Grove. Find vegetables, flowers, herbs, perennials, succulents. Great source of unusual plants; garden crafts, too. Many of the plants are propagated by Sacramento master gardeners who are club members. Cash or check only. https://www.elkgrovegardenclub.org/
-- 8 a.m. to noon, Master Gardeners of El Dorado County, at the Sherwood Demonstration Garden, 6699 Campus Drive, Placerville, behind the Folsom Lake College El Dorado Center. This sale is edibles only, covering many types of herbs, edible flowers, fruits (including some trees and cane berries) and plenty of vegetables, including 39 varieties of tomatoes and 19 types of peppers, plus starts for squashes, pumpkins, bok choi, cucumbers and eggplants. (Ornamentals sale will be held April 25.) Proceeds benefit programs and plantings at the Sherwood garden. Parking is $2, payable at kiosks. https://www.facebook.com/UCElDoradoMG
-- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Elk Grove Community Garden, 10025 Hampton Oak Drive, Elk Grove. Tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, peppers, herbs, succulents, house plants and more will be sold. Cash, checks, Venmo or PayPal accepted. Click here for inventory page. Pre-orders are being taken; pick up late Thursday (April 9) or during sale hours Saturday. Email plantsrdanzz4joy@gmail.com with pre-orders. The garden will also be accepting canned food donations for the Elk Grove Food Bank. elkgrovecommunitygarden.org
-- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Yolo County Master Gardeners at Woodland Community College, 2300 E. Gibson Road, Woodland. Drought-tolerant ornamentals will be available, including California natives, pollinator-friendly perennials and annuals that attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees, along with tomato plants (including heirloom varieties). Pricing: quart-size pots $5, annuals $3, and 4-inch tomato pots $4 (plus tax where applicable). Cash, checks, and credit cards accepted.
-- 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Grace Garden Plant Sale, back patio of the United Methodist Church, 1620 Anderson Road, Davis, though expected to move inside during rain. During the sale, meet Rich Marovich from Rotary Club of Winters who can tell Yolo County residents how to participate in the Monarch Waystation Project. Also, a performance by Bakuhatsu Taiko Dan, a student-run Japanese cultural drumming group at UC Davis. Sale followed at 11 a.m. by a tour of Grace Garden with Yolo master gardener Ann Liu. Information here.
-- 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery Plant Sale, members only, followed by 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., open to the public, Garrod Drive, UC Davis. Second of four spring plant sales. For additional information, see our post from Monday, April 6.
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Flowers in My Back Yard Series
April 21: Celebrate roses, America's favorite flower
April 14: Small flowers with outsized impact
April 7: Calendulas do double duty
April 3: Make Easter lilies last for years to come
March 31: In praise of a pollinator magnet (small-leaf salvias)
March 24: Azaleas brighten shady spots
March 17: The perfect flower for beginners? Try zonal geraniums
March 10: Keep camellias happy for years to come
March 3: Fruit tree blossoms are a fleeting joy
Feb. 27: Are your roses looking rusty?
Feb. 24: Treasure spring daffodils now and for years to come
Feb. 17: How and why to grow wildflowers
Feb. 10: Let's talk Valentine's Day roses
Feb. 3: Why grow flowers?
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Garden checklist for week of April 19
After this midweek storm, start getting serious about spring gardening. Flowers are blooming about three weeks ahead of schedule. That includes weeds!
* Get ready to swing into action in the vegetable garden – if you haven’t already. As nights warm up over 50 degrees, set out tomato, pepper and eggplant transplants.
* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, radishes and squash; wait on pumpkins until May. Plant onion sets.
* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias. Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.
* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom. Late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.
* Transplant lettuce and cabbage seedlings.
* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.
* Smell orange blossoms? Give citrus trees a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants. If leaves look yellow, your tree may need an iron boost -- apply some chelated iron fertilizer.
* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.
* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.
* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden needs nutrition. Give shrubs and trees a slow-release fertilizer. Mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost, which helps the soil, but keep it a few inches away from trunks and stems.
* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.
* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.
* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.
* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.
Contact Us
Send us a gardening question, a post suggestion or information about an upcoming event. sacdigsgardening@gmail.com
Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series
Lessons learned during a year of edible gardening
WINTER
Is edible gardening possible indoors?
Hints for choosing tomato seeds
Why winter is the perfect time to plant fruit trees
When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants
How to squeeze more food into less space
Plant a fruit tree now -- for later
Win the weed war by tackling them in winter
Tips for planting bare-root trees, shrubs and vegetables
Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space
Ways to win the fight against weeds
FALL
Dec. 16: Add asparagus to your edible garden
Dec. 9: Soggy soil and what to do about it
Dec. 2: Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come
Nov. 25: It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying
Nov. 18: What to do with all those fallen leaves?
Nov. 11: Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden
Nov. 4: Plant a pea patch for you and your garden
Oct. 27: As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers
Oct. 20: Change is in the autumn air
Oct. 13: We don't talk (enough) about beets
Oct. 6: Fava beans do double duty
Sept. 30: Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?
Sept. 23: How to prolong the fall tomato harvest
SUMMER
Sept. 16: Time to shut it down?
Sept. 9: How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch
Sept. 2: Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning
Aug. 26: To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?
Aug. 19: Put worms to work for you
Aug. 12: Grow food while saving water
Aug. 5: Enhance your food with edible flowers
July 29: Why won't my tomatoes turn red?
July 22: A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty
July 15: Does this plant need water?
July 8: Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions
July 1: How to grow summer salad greens
June 24: Weird stuff that's perfectly normal
SPRING
June 17: Help pollinators help your garden
June 10: Battling early-season tomato pests
June 3: Make your own compost
May 27: Where are the bees when you need them?
May 20: How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days
May 13: Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can
May 6: Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success
April 29: What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?
April 22: Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)
April 15: Grow culinary herbs in containers
April 8: When to plant summer vegetables
April 1: Don't be fooled by these garden myths
March 25: Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth